Thats good of you to say, thanks.
With engine bay cleaning its important of course to avoid the alternator and air intake with strong jets of water but really theres nothing to it.
I warm the engine but not excessively hot.
Then I remove any leaves, dust or loose debris using a vacuum cleaner, air line or leaf blower with the tube cut right down and flared
.
I like to remove the engine cover too and clean it separately.
Wrap any exposed cabling with cling film if necessary.
I then start with the least aggressive cleaner and mentally split the engine bay into quarters, working on each, spraying and agitating with a small stiff brush.
I use Meguiars APC but a good strong (1:10) soap solution will be fine (nick the Fairy Liquid).
Pay particular attention to all nooks, crannies and seals and be prepared to reach down deep into the bay (a brush taped to a rod/wooden spoon is a good idea)
When you've done a quarter of the engine bay give it a gentle hose off and repeat with the rest of the engine, foaming and rinsing as you go.
Once done you want a good degreaser (Meguiars) from a spray bottle. Some others will dry your rubbers and make them white so spray, agitate the oily bits and rinse away as you go. Clean your manky brush.
*If you come across any heavy oil leaks, note their position and check for future seepage, they're a lot easier to spot once everything is clean.
Once thats done, neutralise any degreaser that may be present with a decent overall spray with APC, soapy water, car shampoo solution etc.....
Agitate any bits you missed and rinse thoroughly.
Run your engine for 5 minutes and turn it off (remembering to remove any protective cling film etc) then close the bonnet and make a brew. Once supped, lift the bonnet and get to work drying any remaining water with paper towels or old microfibres...
Once fully dry its time to dress the surfaces, restoring the colour to black parts and revitalising anything made of rubber. Work steadily using something like Aerospace 303 Protectant, spray on, work in with a brush, wipe away excess with a cotton cloth or ripped up T-Shirt.
To fully do justice to your engine bay you really need to do the under bonnet area too. Its a bit messy as its above your head but the procedure is the same and should be done
before the engine bay itself. Avoid soaking the insulation if you can, instead use a good hand brush and vacuum. Its a good idea to drape towels or an old blanket over the engine bay while you clean and rinse the under bonnet.
At this stage you've probably got filthy spray all over your screen and down the wings, so do the decent thing and give the entire car a good wash and dry.
Avoid tackling the engine bay immediately AFTER cleaning the entire car.....
how do I know this ?
The Aerospace 303 Protectant is probably the best all round product you can buy. Door seals, pedal rubbers, interior and exterior trim including grilles and window trim. It leaves a natural new car finish which is neither shiny or greasy and lasts a fair while too.
On the XC theres a fair bit of black trim.....
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Jul 24th, 2021, 07:45
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